BHOPAL: The Asiatic Wild Water Buffalo, which went locally extinct from Madhya Pradesh around a century ago, has been successfully reintroduced in the Kanha Tiger Reserve’s (KTR) Supkhar forests – the dense forest area which, till some months back, had served as a safe inter-state corridor-shelter for armed Naxal cadres.
Chief minister Dr Mohan Yadav inaugurated the Wild Buffalo Reintroduction Project at the Supkhar Forest Range of KTR in Balaghat district by releasing four wild buffaloes into the soft release boma on Tuesday.
The four buffaloes represented the first batch of the endangered species which was successfully translocated from Assam’s Kaziranga National Park to MP’s KTR on April 25 and reached the eastern MP’s tiger reserve on Tuesday morning only.
While describing that the initiative marked the next chapter in the state’s biodiversity conservation, the MP CM said that the initiative presents a remarkable opportunity for wildlife and ecological conservation in the state. The reintroduction will support grassland conservation and strengthen the ecosystem.
Importantly, in the first phase of the significant interstate wildlife collaborative project, at least seven sub-adult buffaloes were identified between March 19 and April 10, 2026, from the central and eastern ranges of Kaziranga. On
April 25, four wild buffaloes started their 2,000 km journey from Kaziranga to Kanha Tiger Reserve.
The translocation was carried out under the supervision of senior officials and experienced veterinarians from both Kaziranga and Kanha. The reintroduction of this locally extinct species will enhance biodiversity and play a crucial role in managing grassland ecosystems in Kanha.
The second batch of four wild buffaloes (three females and one male) from Assam will arrive in the KTR by the end of April or the first week of May.